Balance Weights in the Aegean World

Historically, balance weights are as old as the balances themselves. Actually, balance and weight examples of Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Hittite civilisations are known from wall paintings, reliefs, papyri and collections. However, the scope of this book is the balance weights produced and used in the Aegean world during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Balance weights were among the instruments of public sphere (instrumenta publica) of antiquity and they constitute an important group of antiquities worth studying for their unit marks, symbols, depictions, inscriptions and ornaments. However, balance weights have been among the most neglected artefacts within archaeological research. Certainly, this work at handbook level should not be expected to fill the gap entirely, but rather call attention to this field. The examples were chosen from the city-states in the Aegean world and cover only those which bear ethnic or symbol (parasemon).

CONTENTS

FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

Scope, material, and sources

History of research in the light of basic publications

1. AN OVERVIEW OF WEIGHTS

Form, material, and manufacture

Symbols (parasema) and other depictions

Denominations

Ethnic

State guarantee (Demosion)

2. WEIGHT SYSTEMS, STANDARDS AND SOLON’S REFORM

Weight systems

Standards and changes in the standards

Solon’s reform

3. MARKET PLACES AND MARKET CONTROLLERS

Agoras and their functions

Magistrates in charge of the agora and the weights

4. CITIES AND THEIR WEIGHTS 35

Athens

Corinth

Olympia

Olynthos

Thasos

Maroneia

Ainos

Lysimachia

Bisanthe

Byzantion

Kalchedon

Kyzikos

Lampsakos

Abydos

Ilion

Tenedos

Gentinos

Alexandria Troas

Skepsis

Myrina

Kyme

Smyrna

Chios

Kolophon

Ephesos

Priene

Miletos

Alabanda

Herakleia under Latmos

Rhodos

GENERAL EVALUATION

APPENDICES

Appendix 1: Balances, steelyards and steelyard weights

Appendix 2: Civic weights under the Roman Empire

ABBREVIATIONS AND BIBLIOGRAPHY

IMAGE SOURCES

TECHNICAL ABBREVIATIONS

GLOSSARY

PLATES

Historically, balance weights are as old as the balances themselves. Actually, balance and weight examples of Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Hittite civilisations are known from wall paintings, reliefs, papyri and collections. However, the scope of this book is the balance weights produced and used in the Aegean world during the Classical and Hellenistic periods. Balance weights were among the instruments of public sphere (instrumenta publica) of antiquity and they constitute an important group of antiquities worth studying for their unit marks, symbols, depictions, inscriptions and ornaments. However, balance weights have been among the most neglected artefacts within archaeological research. Certainly, this work at handbook level should not be expected to fill the gap entirely, but rather call attention to this field. The examples were chosen from the city-states in the Aegean world and cover only those which bear ethnic or symbol (parasemon).